Dexter Cox found guilty of murder in 2007 shooting of elderly Frayser man

A jury Friday convicted Dexter Cox of first-degree murder in the 2007 shooting death of an elderly man on the front porch of his Frayser home.

Cox, 21, who is charged in two other murder cases, also was convicted of shooting and attempting to kill the wife of victim Herbert Wooten and of especially aggravated robbery.

The Criminal Court jury, which deliberated about two hours, was to decide whether to sentence Cox to life in prison or to life without parole, but Cox waived that hearing and agreed to accept life without parole.

He told Judge Chris Craft he was ready to move on to the Tennessee Department of Correction.

In a statement to police, Cox said he went into "trigger mode" and "just lost it for a little bit" before shooting the 76-year-old Wooten on Oct. 25, 2007, and wounding his wife, Barbara, 57, at their home on Pinedale.

Cox, who put on no defense, told police that he got "a rush" from controlling and shooting people, jurors were told. He was then 18 and lived on Haywood, not far from the Wootens.

Barbara Wooten testified this week from her wheelchair and identified Cox as the shooter.

Cox also is charged with killing off-duty police Lt. Ed Vidulich, 51, on Jan. 28, 2008, at his home on Shiloh Drive and Gwendolyn Cherry, 45, on Oct. 9, 2007, in the 3300 block of Riney Road.

State prosecutors Ray Lepone and Dean DeCandia said a decision has not yet been made on whether they will seek the death penalty in those cases.